Taking a break from the studio to enjoy this beautiful weather and just be outdoors. Went to the beach and, between swims, managed to capture one of the many people who flocked to the water for this gorgeous gift of a day. Included is one non-human model who also migrated here with ‘friends’. What do they say about ‘birds of a feather’?

Luckily both these ‘birds’ enjoyed just sitting and catching some rays long enough for me to catch quick sketches from my bird blind under the sun umbrella.

Purple is a nice color to use as under drawing. It maps out the lights and darks so colour can be added on top later or left as is. Either way, I can summon all the sensations of this rare and beautiful sunny day just by looking back through the sketchbook. Love it!

So, the first studio tour I’ve done here is over. It was a great opportunity to connect with neighbors and art lovers in general. We had a great turnout and some pieces went to appreciative new homes. The best part is talking with people and getting their take and feelings about the work. Already looking forward to the next studio tour in 2018. The Shoreline Artists’ group is the best artists’ co-op I’ve encountered yet!
Next year, I hope to have some larger new work to add. That’s all for now. Have an art filled summer.

What are you doing in the studio these days? People who don’t paint expect a list of works to roll of your tongue. My answer tends to throw them a little. I say simply, “I’m practicing”. If I were playing a musical instrument, even someone who’s tone deaf would nod knowingly and mumble “Oh yeah, huh”.
Musicians and visual artists even have similar vocabulary. When I took piano lessons growing up, theory was a separate class and there I learned about changing the key, composition and ear training. This augmented the physical practice of scales and chords, which trained my hands to find the right notes. If I made a mistake in practice, I only offended those within earshot and so my work evaporated into the atmosphere.
Learning to paint has eye training to assist in the production of the right visual notes. Colour chords and keys depend on the hand eye coordination too. The record of the work is often incomplete but records the struggle nonetheless and so is worth keeping but not showing to anyone else necessarily! Often, it disappears into the waste basket.
Lately, I’ve decided to change my palette; the group of pigments that produce key and colour chords and to work on composition. As is traditional, I practice the compositions of artists I admire and have done so many times over the years. ( This one is inspired by Ian Roberts).
That’s what I’m posting today, one record of the changes that will eventually take their place in new work.

So, I’m still putting ‘miles on the paintbrush’ and cabin fever took me out on a rare sunny day recently to look for signs of spring. The wind was strong and bitter so I grabbed this quick photo and retreated back to the warmth of the studio to interpret and paint.
The title could be ‘The March of the Saugeen’. I don’t think ‘flow’ when I see this river but rather a relentless presence that has at times carried me, dumped me, flooded me out, fed me and always reminded me to ‘march on’.